Refrigeration device



April 7, 1936.

v W. H. D. BRoUsE 2,036,565 REFRIGRATION DEvIE Filed oet. 16, 1935` Patented Apr. 7, 1936. f

'UNiTsD sTATEs PATENT oFFicsnliFaIGliiuirioN nlivlcl: william n.1). Brause. rcrcntc, ontario.

Canada Applicnacn octcbcr le, 193s, serial Nc. scarsa In Canada August 29, 1933 7Claims.

'nie principal cbicccs ci this, invention are tc provide an automatically defrosting refrigerating unit of greatly increased efficiency, reducing in a marked degree the consumption of .electric current, and which will also maintain a greater stability of temperature-within the chamber cooled by the refrigeratlng unit than where defrosting is manually exercised.-

A further object is to provide an equipment which will automatically defrost the refrigerating unit without raising above a freezing tempera- `ture the coils in the section used for freezing materials.

'I'he principal feature of this invention resides in the provision of a refrigerating unit exposed to the atmosphere of the cooling chamber of a refrigerator, in conjunction with sharp freezing coils separated therefrom and insulated or isolated from the cooling chamber atmosphere and in the provision of control means whereby the refrigerant is directed in separate quantities to the freezingcolls and refrigerating unit respectively, said freezing coils having .an outlet end connected with the refrigerating unit for the release i of the evaporated or partially evaporated yrefrigerant therefrom into the said refrigerating unit. A further and important feature consists in the novel construction of the means for controlling the supply valve whereby the oat control is. flexibly mounted to insure the maximum operation of the float within a restricted chamber.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a skeleton illustration of the refrigerating system.

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevational part-sectional detail of the expansion chamber with its automatically controlled valve and the connected cooling coils.

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the portion of the unit illustrated in Figure 2.

In numerous forms of refrigerating devices, the evaporatorI coils for cooling the refrigerator chamber, are utilized-fon producing a freezing temperature in a receptacle compartment orv (Cl. 8H)

come these dimculties with the equipment herein shown and described.

The compressor unit I discharges through the pipe 2 to the condenser coils 3 which are arranged outside of the refrigerator and the condensed re- 5 frigerant is delivered to the reservoir l.

A pipe l leads from` the bottom of the reservoir 4 to the valve casing 8 of the control tank or evaporator 1 which is arranged within the refrigerator. Within the casing 0 is an orifice I which 10 is controlled by a needle valve 9 pivotally mounted upon the shank end I0 of a fork Il arranged within the cylinder 1.

'I'he shank of the fork Il is mounted on a pivot pin l2 extending transversely of a lug I3 project- 16 ing inwardly from the member 8 and said kvalve is adapted to be reciprocated by the action of the fork to control the escape of the condensed refrigerating fluid from the orifice I.

A cylindrical float I4 which is supported by 20 the liquid refrigerant within the tank or evaporator 'l is pivotally mounted midway of its length between the outer ends ofthe .fork il. This pivotal arrangement of the float I4 on the pivotal fork which operates the control valve allows of 25 the maximum latitude of movement within the minimum diameter of control tank.

'I'he end i5 of the valve is reduced to provide a communicating passage ii with an opening I1 leading laterally from the valve casing l outside 30 of the cylinder .'l.

A pipe i 8 is secured in the opening li1 and communicates with the freezing evaporator coils I9 which are arranged within the refrigerator but enclosed within a casing I l' which forms a par- 35 tial insulation. A pipe 20 leads from said freezing coils i! to an opening in the side wall of the cylinder 1, preferably adjacent to the end oppofsite to the valve end.

A curved tube 2| arranged within the cylinder 40 1 is secured at its outer end in a fitting 22 to which the return pipe 23 to the'compressor unit Y is connected. 'Ihe tube 2i curves upwardly inside of the cylinder to a point close to its upper 45 inner cylindrical periphery. This tube is pro-` vided with a perforation 24 at a point lower than its intake end so that any lubricating oil carried to the cylinder will be picked up gradually through this hole leaving the upper open end of the tube above the liquid level for the outlet of evaporated refrigerant.

'I'lie evaporator tank 1 is provided with a plurality of holes 25 arranged preferably slightly oi!- set from its vertical diameter, and sealed in these holes are open refrigerating loops 29 carrying the sheet metal heat-eichanging vanes 21.

When the condition lof the refrigerating fluid within the tank 1 and its associated tubular Vloops is auch as to permit a predetermined rise of'temperature within the chamber which is cooled thereby, the compressor is started anddraws off vaporized refrigerant through the pipe 23 which effects the lowering of the liquid level-as evaporation continues andas the level of the refrigerant lowers in the tankfl, the float arm I I will be lowered to operate the valve I5 to openthe orifice 8 admitting''a further quantity of the condensed refrigerant, so that a substantially uniform level is maintained in the tank 'l and as evaporation takes place the temperature of theiatank and loops is loweredY to thereby cool the surrounding air.

It will of course be understood that the valve I5 will only open a very small degree at any time and that the sudden release of the fluid refrigerant from the'high to low pressure through such-'small opening will result in an expansive effect on'the uid' instantly lowering its 'temperaand serving in 'a degree to vaporize the refrigerant which vaporizing continues within the C0118 9. Y E

The main flow of the Vcondensed refrigerant is conducted from the condenser 3 and reservoir 4 through the pipe 5 and is directed by the valve 9 into the pipe IS and flows' through the freezing evaporator coils I9, which are arranged in an insulated chamber separate from the principal cooling section.V Thus the refrigerant filling the coils I9 is forcibly evaporated therein in whole or in part due to the suction pressure existing in pipe 20, so that the temperature of the coils is lowered and the vaporized refrigerant or portions of the refrigerantthat may not have been evapo-YV rated is drawn into the Ytank 1, and since the coils I9 areYY enclosed within the refrigerator cabinet and partly insulated therefrom a lowertemperaiture wm be bunt up about the vicinity of the tous I9 than will obtain within the main bo'dy of the cabinet. -The valve 91s a loose fit in its sliding orifice and a certain amount f the refrigerant escapes directly into the cylinder 1 aiound the valve.

The cylinder 1 and its loops and heatV conductving elements may be made of any desiredcapacity to maintain a proper temperature in the cooling chamber of the refrigerator in which it is installed in accordance with the design and various dimensions of -the equipment. With the arrangement described there will be no' appreciable interchange of heat from the refrigerator chambei' t0 the freezingl element, either directly or through the cooling element. Therefore the cooling element 29 can be 'raised ln temperature above the melting point of ice to eilect the ie-l frosting thereofdurlng the idle part of the cycle, when. the compressor is .not operating, without materially affecting the temperature ef the freezing element.

A suitable thermostatic control device 28 which may be of any conventional form and need not be illustrated in detail herein is arranged adjacent to .the casing of the chamber housing the freezing coils and controls'the operation of the compressor unit I. This is connected directly to the casing of the freezing element by a copper K strip 29' or equivalent element inuentially con withV control device 28 so that it is subject that with normal cabinet temperatures, the temperatureof the freezing element does not rise place inthe loops 26, the defrosting temperature; of the cylinder 1 and the refrigerating loops conV nected therewith will have practically no effect y f on -the cooling element. in casing I9'. Consequentlywater or other substances frozen in the freezing 1section will not be melted and will not therefore have to be refrozen. n

The arrangement of the unit is extremely simple but accomplishes a verydes'irable result.

What I clainl as my invention is: n

1. In a, refrigerating device, in combination, e

refrigerator cabinet, a freezing unit linsulated from vthe cabinet interior to produce an isolated Y freezing zone, a cooling unit distinct from said freezing unit andarranged in heat interchange contact with the air in said cabinet and capable of being-periodically defrosted without lowering the temperature of the freezing zone of said first mentioned urntbelow freezing temperature, said cooling unit including a'oat chamber, 'a refrigerantrcontrol valve controlled by a neat in said float chamber and having an outlet leading exterior to said`float chamber and opened on the lowering of the float in said chamber, -said freezing unit being in direct communication with said outletY and receiving refrigerant therefrom, said freezing unit havinggits outlet connected to the said float chamber whereby the latter receives refrigerant therefrom, and a suction outlet from exposed within said cabinet and including a float chamber, a valve neat-controlled by tire level of refrigerant in said neat chamber, said valve hav- 1 ing two outlets-for the refrigerant on the opening of the float valve. one outletbeing in direct commnnicationfwith said freezing unit and the -other outlet being in direct communication with said cooling unit.

4. Means as claimedin claim-1 which said freezing unit is provided with a casing 4thereabout and a motor-compressor unit for circulating the refrigerant is controlledby a thermostatic switch, thetemperature influenced means of which has extension -in thermal contact unit', whereby the thermostatlc switch E subjected to an intermediate temperature between that of the freezing element and thatof the surrounding atmosphere in the cabinet.

5. In a. refrlgerating device in combination, a cabinet, a condenser, a cabinet cooling unit having. a oat tank, freezing coils separate from said tank for producing a sharp freezing zone in said with thesaid casing of said insulated freezingv cabinet, a valve casing mountedI on said tank, a conduit leading from the condenser to said valve casing, a conduit leading directly from said valve casing exteriorly of said tank to said 'freezing coils, a suction conduit leading directly from said freezing coils to the interior of said float tank, a valve directing refrigerant' clear of the said tank to the conduit leading to the freezing coils, and a float mechanism arranged within the float tank controlling .the operation of said valve said float tank having a suction outlet.

6.v In a refrigerating dev ice, the combination with a cabinet, a, horizontal control tank having cooling coils for cooling the interior of said cabinet, a condenser, and freezing coils separate from said tank for producing a sharp freezing zone in said cabinet, of a valve casing having an oriilce connected with the condenser and an orifice connected with the freezing coils, a valve slidably mounted in said casing and controlling the flow of refrigerant, saidv valve permitting a main flow of the refrigerant directly into said freezing coils and a restricted flow directly into. said control tank, means connecting the freezing coils with said control tank whereby the vaporized and excess refrigerant from said freezing coils is received in said control tank, a pivotal arm mounted within the control tank adjacent to said valve orifice and operatively connected with said valve, a suction outlet from said. control tank, and a float connected to the free end of 'said pivotal arm.

7. In arefrigerating device, a cabinet, a. refrigerant condensing unit, a refrigerant control valve, freezing coils enclosed within a chamber isolated from the cooling chamber atmosphere within .the cabinet to produce a sharp freezingzone, means for conducting the refrigerant from said valve to said freezing coils, a refrigerator cooling unit exposed to the atmospherewithin said cabinet and connected with and receiving refrigerant from said isolated sharp freezing coils, means Within said cooling unit for controlling said valve, and thermostatic means within said cooling chamber and connected with the freezing chamber to control the operation of the condenser unit.V

WILLIAM H. D. BROUSE. 

